Skylight Replacement in Chicago: Bring More Natural Light Into Your Home
A professionally installed skylight can make your home feel brighter, more open, and more inviting while improving ventilation and curb appeal. Whether you need a new skylight, a replacement, or repairs for leaks and storm damage, our team helps you choose the right option and installs it with the roofing expertise needed to protect your home for the long term.
Free storm damage inspection or a no-pressure quote for your project
Signs Your Skylight Needs Replacement
A little fog on the glass is not always a big deal. But if you are seeing water stains spreading across your ceiling near the skylight, that is a different story. We get calls like this every week, especially after a hard rain or when the snow starts melting in spring.
So how do you know if you are dealing with a quick fix or something bigger? Here is what usually points to a full replacement instead of just a repair:
- Cracked or fogged glass that will not clear up, even on sunny days
- Water stains or drips around the frame after storms
- Soft or discolored wood on the interior trim
- A skylight that is more than 15 to 20 years old
- Visible daylight gaps around the seal or flashing
Older homes around Naperville and Downers Grove often have original skylights from decades back, and those seals wear out over time. Once the seal fails, water finds its way in no matter how many times you caulk it.
Foggy glass between the panes is a sign the seal has already broken down. That moisture gets trapped and it will not come out on its own.
Chicago winters are hard on skylights. Snow sits on the roof, melts, refreezes, and pushes water into spots it was never supposed to reach. If your skylight backs up to a low slope roof, that freeze thaw cycle wears down the flashing faster than most homeowners expect.
Here is the thing. Not every leak means you need a new skylight. Sometimes it is just the flashing around it that failed, and that is a much smaller roof repair. That is exactly why we offer a free inspection and property report, so you know what is going on before you spend a dime on anything. Skylights are part of our window replacement services.
Horizon restoration did a great job in getting our roof claim approved by our insurance. They worked hard to make sure the insurance company covered the cost of the roof and gutters. AJ was always on top of things and kept us informed every step of the way. We recommended them to our family member who also signed with AJ and Horizon Restoration due to how well they managed our project. We would highly recommend them for their roofing expertise, knowledge with insurance companies and over all communication during the project. In addition to this the roof looks great and their team did a great job on the roof and the clean up.
Overall great experience! Julius was fantastic to work with. He was very attentive to all the details and always there to answer questions and get the job done right. Whenever he said he would take care of something, he took care of it. The crew did a fantastic job and the workmanship was top notch. I can not believe how quickly they did a full replacement of our sheathing and roof shingles and still did a high quality job. They left the worksite spotlessly clean. We are getting lots of compliments from our neighbors on how good our roof looks. If you want your roof done right, go with this company.
Paul, thank you so much to you and your entire team for our beautiful new roof. We couldn't have made a better choice. Thank you for all your help with the insurance paperwork and for making the whole process so smooth. We highly recommend Chicago Horizon Restoration Roofing Company to anyone looking for quality work and outstanding service! Pamela & Steve
Horizon Restoration did an amazing job on my roof! Paul was fantastic to work with. Super responsive, most important he was honest and really cared about making sure everything was done right. He made what could have been a stressful process feel easy. The crew was fast, clean and very professional. I’m really happy with the result and would definitely recommend them.
Our contact at Horizon Restoration was Art. He worked with our insurance company for over a year and a half to have our roof and siding replaced. The other persons behind the scenes at the office who were instrumental in assisting Art were Paul-Manager, Ruby-who was in charge of all correspondence, Jack-Install Manager who coordinated the crews for both the siding and roof, Claudio-On Site Roofing Manager and Mike-On Site Siding Manager. They worked seamlessly as a team and were always available when we had any questions or concerns. It is so nice to have Horizon Restoration going to bat for us. Especially Art whose experience and knowledge was so key in getting our insurance company to approve the replacement of our roof and siding. Our roof and siding look so nice we highly recommend Art and Horizon Restoration to anyone in need of their services. Thank you Art and Horizon for everything.
Storm Damage and Insurance Claims for Skylights in Chicago
Chicago gets hit hard some years. Hail one spring, straight-line winds the next summer, then ice and heavy snow load all winter. Skylights take a beating in all three. A cracked dome, a bent flashing seam, a leak that shows up after a wind event — we see this every single week.
Here is the tricky part. Storm damage to a skylight does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it is a small stain on the ceiling below, or a little water on the sill after a heavy rain. Homeowners often wait, thinking it will dry out on its own. It usually does not, and by the time the leak gets obvious, the wood framing around the skylight may already be damp.
If your skylight was damaged by a hail or wind event, your homeowners policy may cover it, depending on your coverage and what the adjuster confirms. Either way, a claim depends on documentation. Adjusters need clear photos, a damage report, and someone who understands what they are looking at on your roof.
Two of our team members previously worked as insurance agents, so we know how storm damage claims are documented and reviewed. We document the damage properly the first time, so there is less back and forth later.
Not sure if your skylight damage is even storm related? That is a fair question, and it is common. We will walk your roof, check the skylight and surrounding flashing, and give you an honest answer. If it is storm damage, we will give you the photos and written report to file your claim with, and we can meet your adjuster on site. If it is not, we will tell you that too. See how our storm damage restoration process works.
Free Inspection
No charge, no commitment — we look before you decide.
Fast Scheduling
Skylight leaks get worse fast. We try to schedule within 24 hours.
Serving Chicagoland
Naperville, Downers Grove, Orland Park, and surrounding areas.
Licensed and Insured
Fully licensed, bonded, and insured for every job we take on.
When Repair Beats Replacement
Not every skylight needs to come out. We say this even though replacement is bigger work for us, because pretending otherwise would be a bad way to run a business. Here is how we tell the difference.
Signs You May Only Need a Repair
If the leak is coming from one isolated spot and the unit itself is structurally fine, repair usually solves it. A small flashing leak, a seal that has failed on an otherwise sound unit — these are repair jobs, plain and simple.
If your skylight is under ten years old and the damage looks isolated, do not assume you need a full replacement before someone has even looked at it. We will tell you straight if repair gets the job done, no upsell needed.
When Replacement Is the Right Call
If we are seeing fogged glass, cracked seals on more than one unit, or wood rot spreading into the roof deck around the curb, that is a different conversation. Repairing an old, failing unit is often just delaying the same call a year or two later.
Older builder-grade skylights with hardened seals and flashing that was never properly step-flashed into the shingles are usually replacement jobs. That is exactly why we start with an inspection instead of a sales pitch.
Thousands of Roofing Projects.
One Trusted Team Across
Chicagoland.
From the North Shore to the Southwest Suburbs, we have completed more than 2,400 roofing and exterior projects for homeowners and businesses throughout the Chicago area.
- Local & Family Owned
- Licensed & Insured
- Manufacturer-Backed Warranties
What Happens During a Skylight Replacement
Inspect the Deck
We remove the old skylight and inspect the roof deck underneath for rot or water damage.
Repair Framing
Any damaged decking or framing gets repaired before the new unit goes in.
Install Flashing
We install new flashing around the opening. This is the part that fails most often, so we do not cut corners here.
Set the Skylight
The new skylight gets set, sealed, and checked for a tight, weatherproof fit.
Clean Up & Walk-Through
We clean up the site and walk you through what was done — no surprises, no half-finished work.
Insurance Documentation
If the damage came from a storm, we document everything for your insurance claim as we go — not after the fact. Most jobs take a single day.
Who Pays?
HOA vs. Owner Responsibility for Skylights
This question comes up a lot, especially with townhomes and condo buildings. Who pays when a skylight needs replacing, you or the association? The honest answer: it depends on your governing documents, and we always tell homeowners to check theirs before assuming anything.
In many townhome and condo associations, the roof structure itself is considered common property, but the skylight unit and its seal are sometimes classified as a limited common element that falls on the individual owner. Other associations split it differently. Some cover the skylight fully as part of the roof system, others treat it like a window and put it squarely on the homeowner. We have seen both setups plenty of times.
Common Property (HOA)
The roof structure is typically maintained by the HOA under the master policy as a shared building element.
Limited Common Element (Owner)
The skylight unit and its seal often fall to the individual owner under the HOA governing documents.
Here is where it gets tricky with insurance. If a storm causes damage, the HOA master policy may need to file the claim, not the homeowner. But if the damage is isolated to just your unit’s skylight and the association says it is your responsibility, you might be filing your own claim instead. Getting this wrong can delay repairs by weeks while everyone points fingers.
So what do we recommend? Pull your HOA bylaws or condo declaration. If you don’t want to sort through dozens of pages, send it our way and we’ll point you to the sections that mention skylights or roof penetrations; your association or its attorney has the final word. If you are reading it yourself, look for the words skylight, roof penetration, or limited common element. If you are not sure what you are reading, that is normal; most homeowners are not.
This is one of the reasons a documented roof report is worth having before you file a claim. We note whether it looks like an isolated unit issue or a broader roof problem, and give you something solid to bring to your HOA board or your insurance adjuster. It saves a lot of back and forth later.